Charles Elmer Crawford (1873 - 1948)

Born 7 Nov 1873 in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, United States

Ancestors

Died 12 Jun 1948 at age 74 in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Becky Simmons [send private message]

Biography

Charles Elmer Crawford was born on November 7, 1873 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States to parents John Crawford and Mary Beistel.

When I began working on this direct family line, Charles was one of the few people I hardly had any information about and after spending only an hour connecting various "proverbial" (overlooked) dots I've been fascinated by what he accomplished and have found myself researching his life and pursuits past the standard WikiTree bio format.

Charles was born in to the large Crawford family located in Westmoreland County and it seems he stayed in the area for most of his life but his varied pursuits allowed him to travel quite a bit. According to his obituary he was a musician- a cornetist a.k.a. one who plays the cornet. This is an instrument many overlook or confuse for a trumpet. (The instruments are shaped differently where the opening for the cornet is larger thusly producing a deeper, warmer sound than it's trumpet "cousin". That said, the instruments are essentially played the same; e.g. if you can read the music and play one you can most likely play the other). Apparently he traveled and played with the John Philip Sousa Band!^[1]

(Sousa was the most famous United States Marine band director -a violinist himself- and the composer of "Stars and Stripes Forever")^[2]

Charles Elmer's father apprenticed before spending his lifetime perfecting his art as a tinner (one who is skilled at worked with the metal, tin, Sn on the periodic table). He owned a hardware store where he perfected the trade and it appears his passion for tinning was not lost on his children as each of his sons had some sort of metal work in their professional careers. Charles, for example, used his skills collaborating with various companies to create decorative metal work on large buildings around Pennsylvania such as the Foster Memorial Building^[3] of Oakland, Pittsburgh.(image of construction ca.1933)^[4]

Charles married Jemima "Mima" Irene Shahan on January 7, 1903 in Quincy, Adams County, Illinois, United States. ^[5] They had at least four known children:

1. John Newton (1910 - 1982)^[6]
2. Charles Marshall (1917 - 1978) ^[7]
3. Mima Inelia (1919 - 2000) ^[8]
4. Kadmiel (abt 1923 - ) ^[9]

In June of 1917 when signing his World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Card, he was described as "medium build, medium height, blue eyes (and) brown hair"^[10]

Charles died on June 12, 1948 in Westmoreland (death certificate needed but obituary backs up cemetery card data). His body was interred at Ligonier Valley Cemetery three days later. ^[11]

• [12]

Obituary on FindaGrave

Currently I do not have the original source for this Obituary but it is published on the cited and referenced FindaGrave page and I'm working to get the original info now:

Charles E. Crawford

"Charles E. Crawford, Wilkinsburg metal worker and musician, died yesterday at his home, (omitted intentionally).

He was employed at the Walker and Wilcox Co. here and his decorative metal work can be found in many Pittsburgh buildings, including the Foster Memorial in Oakland.

He once was a solo cornetist for the John Philip Sousa band.

He was a member of the board of deacons of Point Breeze Presbyterian Church, Samuel Hamilton F&AM No. 746, IOOF, and Jr. O.U.A.M.

Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Mima Shahan Crawford; three sons, John N., Charles M., Kadmiel; a daughter, Mrs. Mima I. Dankmyer, two sisters and two brothers, Mrs. Cora Feathers, Mrs. Ann Nisley, F. W. and Harvey.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 2 at Wareham's funeral home, Wilkinsburg, with burial in Ligonier.

FindaGrave page [13]

Facts

• Fact: Residence (1880) Ligonier, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, United States
• Fact: Residence (1900) Ligonier Township, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, United States
• Fact: Residence (1910) North Braddock Ward 3, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States
• Fact: Military Draft Registration (1917-1918) Allegheny County no 13, Pennsylvania, United States
• Fact: Residence (1930) Wilkinsburg, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States
• Fact: Residence (1935) Same House
• Fact: Social Program Claim (16 Dec 1938)
• Fact: Residence (1940) Ward 2, Wilkinsburg, Wilkinsburg Borough, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States
• Fact: Burial Ligonier, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Sources

1. ↑ [1]
2. ↑ [2]
3. ↑ [3]
4. ↑ [4]
5. ↑ [5]
6. ↑ [6]
7. ↑ [7]
8. ↑ [8]
9. ↑ [9]
10. ↑ [10]
11. ↑ [11]

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 23 December 2023, 04:05), entry for Charles Elmer Crawford (PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LVJT-NW8 ); contributed by various users.

• "United States Census, 1880", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWV5-2YD : Wed Aug 02 22:26:39 UTC 2023), Entry for J. W. Crawford and Amanda A. Crawford, 1880.

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3HM-7Y2 : accessed 7 June 2018), Charles Crawford in household of John W Crawford, Ligonier Township, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 109, sheet 4A, family 74, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,498.

• "Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q288-J21Q : 22 July 2021), Charles E Crawford and Mima I Skahan, 07 Jan 1903; citing Quincy, Adams, Illinois, United States, county offices, Illinois; FHL microfilm 1,845,385.

• "United States Census, 1910", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGQW-JNR : Wed Jul 19 01:16:23 UTC 2023), Entry for Charles E Crawford and Mima Crawford, 1910.

• "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6J5-DN8 : 26 December 2021), Chas Elmer Crawford, 1917-1918.

Draft Card Link: [14]

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCZ3-YTJ : accessed 3 August 2023), Charles Crawford, Wilkinsburg, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 869, sheet 20B, line 77, family 487, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1993; FHL microfilm 2,341,727.

• "United States Census, 1940", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQ45-9TK : Thu Jul 20 16:38:11 UTC 2023), Entry for Charles E Crawford and Mima Crawford, 1940.

• "Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHXC-Q52 : Sun Oct 15 16:37:17 UTC 2023), Entry for Kadmiel R Crawford and Lillian B Poulos, 7 Nov 1946.

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/251519252/charles-e-crawford: accessed 03 August 2023), memorial page for Charles E. Crawford (unknown–12 Jun 1948), Find a Grave Memorial ID 251519252, citing Ligonier Valley Cemetery, Ligonier, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, USA; Burial Details Unknown; Maintained by Jean Doherty (contributor 47349305).

Memorial Page Here: [15]

• "Virginia, Marriage Certificates, 1936-1988", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV1Q-K7X2 : Sun Oct 15 17:13:27 UTC 2023), Entry for Charles Marshall Crawford and Charles E Crawford, 05 Jul 1974.

• "Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVYL-QCXY : 16 August 2019), Charles Crawford in entry for John Newton Crawford, 01 May 1982; from "Virginia, Marriage Records, 1700-1850," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2012); citing Fort Belvoir, Fairfax, Virginia, United States, entry #, Virginia Department of Health, Richmond.

• "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6K9K-GFHT : 10 February 2023), Charles E Crawford in entry for Mima Inelia Crawford, .

Acknowledgments

• Becky Elizabeth Simmons